


The Tsuranga Addendum

by Thesseli



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Gen, Post-Episode: s12e07 Can You Hear Me?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-12
Updated: 2020-02-12
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:54:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22682809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thesseli/pseuds/Thesseli
Summary: We all have to face our fears.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 17





	The Tsuranga Addendum

_“The thing is, Doc, I worry, about getting…sick again. You know, about the cancer coming back. And I didn't know who to say it to, so I thought I'd say it to you. You know, seeing as you're a doctor. Look, 'cause once…once you have it, it's with you the whole time. Not, not quite a shadow, but, uh…hey, don't get me wrong, I mean, my check-ups, they're all fine. But it – it made me think. You know? And, uh…I thought I should talk about it. 'Cause those nightmares I mean…Well, they made me realize that the fear is still there.”_

__

__

_“...I should say a reassuring thing now, shouldn't I?”_

_“Yeah, probably.”_

“And?” Ryan had been hanging on the older man’s every word, surprised not that he was still afraid but that he’d been able to confess it to anyone else. “What did she say then?” 

“Well, she apologized for still being so socially awkward,” Graham began. “And then she told me I have nothing to worry about, and that the cancer would never return.”

“How can she be so sure?”

Graham smiled. “She said that once we’d left the Tsuranga, when we were docked at the space station afterwards, she’d asked the medical staff to check me over. Specifically for any signs of cancer, even pre-neoplastic cells that might be hiding somewhere inside me. They told her there weren’t any. And do you know why that was?” 

“No; why?” 

“Because you’d already asked them to do the same thing.” 

Ryan’s eyes widened hopefully. “It worked?” 

“It worked. And they also gave me some kind of DNA stabilizer thing to make sure it could never happen again,” he said. “Thank you, Ryan. You have no idea how great a relief this is.” He paused. “It didn’t even occur to me, then, to ask if they could do that. How did you think of it?” 

Ryan shrugged, looking down in a futile attempt to hide his emotions. “I already lost my Gran. I can’t lose you too.” 

Graham’s jaw dropped. Then he smiled again, bringing up a hand. “Fist bump?” 

In response, Ryan smiled as well, and pulled his grandfather into a hug.


End file.
